


The Flower Boy

by Erisx



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Flower Shop, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Eren owns a flower shop, F/M, Fluff and Humor, Levi is poor and unmotivated, Levi loves cats, M/M, Rating will change, University, introvert!Levi, professor!erwin
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-24
Updated: 2015-11-28
Packaged: 2018-04-10 22:50:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,554
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4410905
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Erisx/pseuds/Erisx
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Levi lives in a tiny apartment where he locks himself away from civilization, except for the off occasion when Hanji drags him out of the house to smell the roses. On one of these occasions, Levi is introduced to probably the most beautiful boy he's ever seen. Eren, on the other hand, finds it hard to believe he'll ever find a guy that isn't a total douche. Between a bad history in romance and a failing flower shop, Levi's afraid he'll never have the chance to win him over.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Eyes

**Author's Note:**

> Wow. Uhm, okay. I've never written a fanfic, cause I'm afraid of screwing something up lmao. But I freaking love this anime and my sister insisted that I write her a fic. Feedback would be much appreciated, guys. And I apologize for any format issues, I've never really posted on Archive either. xD I'll figure it out. I promise!

**Levi:**

The alarm on my phone was buzzing, shrill and very much to my annoyance. It was hard to roll over in bed, my body stiff from sleeping in the same position all night. I guess, if anything, that meant I’d slept well. I felt like I’d slept better than usual.

_“Why the hell am I debating this?”_ I thought, _“I fucking slept, good for me.”_

As I rolled back over, my finger fell harshly on to the snooze button of my touch screen, finally shutting the damn thing up. I stood up and stretched, my body popping in a couple places.

“Fuck, I need to start jogging again.”

I could smell coffee making in the kitchen of my little apartment, filling it with it’s soothing scent of morning. The time was just past 7:30, a few birds chirping outside the one window in the room. It was stuffy, the air feeling a bit heavy. I padded over the hardwood floor on my bare feet and heaved the sticky window up for fresh air. There was a crispness on the early spring breeze that blew in, making me shiver. I ran a hand threw my hair and frowned at the slight greasiness to it.

“Disgusting.”

Closing the window, I drug myself slowly into the living area of my very small apartment. It and the bedroom were about the same size. There was a kitchen that was only separated from the living area by the counter that the stove and sink were placed. The kitchen lead into the bathroom which lead into the bedroom. It was a tiny circle of living space, all bunched together for a price I was barely able to pay.

“Loki? Loki, where are you?” I called, watching as my tiny, newly adopted [American Shorthair](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/BFbu-2IKxCyYjcK6pavMQwxS0VtJ5QYuDSKTkT7-h9cHwvN-bFwuLgENi-EGZ-1wiGkq1bfOD0czZTXfcGlYAApvePS504yS0VfN-e1rcQJb7CkbZLD_H8j7F3hBxaoQfKvjtbj90SXvnM7FV3WpvTsqrQsyIzcX7Ll5IPZXcNzy=w426-h461) came bouncing around the corner of the sofa. “Good morning, little guy.” I stroked his head a few times as he purred, nuzzling into the palm of my hand. He’d only been here for a few days and was easily warming up to the place.

“Are you hungry?” I asked him, as if he would give me an answer other than the usual ‘meow’.

“Come on then.”

Loki followed close behind me, sometimes gliding in between my feet unexpectedly. He was good at almost make me fall. He meowed and pawed at my feet as I scooped a can of soft cat food into his little bowl. After I set it on the floor again, he went right to eating, without another sound.

“Good boy,” I cooed, giving him a gentle pat before making myself a cup of coffee. I opened the window in the kitchen, letting in the air and the sounds of the city as I sipped from my cup. Everything was pretty peaceful and I was just about to grab a shower when a loud knock sounded at my door. My shoulders jolted slightly at the suddenness of it. Loki jumped as well, scurrying around the corner and behind the couch.

“God damn it, who in the hell…?"

I set my coffee down and pulled on my robe which hung on the door to the bathroom. Another loud knock sounded right before I opened the door, only to see the most unpleasant of unpleasant people.

“Four eyes. Should have known."

“Oh, don’t be so grumpy, short stuff!”

Hanji pushed past me into the living area, inviting herself in as always. She flopped down on the couch, looking up at me as if she’d just realized I was still in my underwear.

“What’s the dill, pickle? I thought you were coming with me today?”

“What are you talking about?” I grumbled, shutting the door so that I could get back to my coffee. Hanji scoffed as if she were personally offended, following that up immediately with a pout.

“Levi! I texted you yesterday, you said you’d come with me to get the things I needed for the party!”

“What party? And stop yelling, Jesus, you’ll wake the entire complex.” I took another sip of my coffee, feeling the start of a headache. And it wasn’t even eight yet.

“You know what party. Stop being mean, Levi, you’re always so mean. You promised me.”

I tried my best to remember what it was I was so pledged to, apparently, but nothing came to mind. I was distracted by the pawing of my robe’s tie, which was coming from Loki. I picked the creature up and gave a little kiss to the top of his head.

“Awe, is that him?” Hanji suddenly exclaimed with excitement. I cursed again, closing my eyes as I tried to concentrate on NOT murdering her right then and there.

“Loki, four eyes. Four eyes, Loki.”

The kitten meowed as I introduced the two of them to each other. Her hands shot out for him, causing me to pull back before she could get him. She seemed surprised, and at the same time, I was too.

“You haven’t had him THAT long. To be honest, I’m surprised you aren’t fed up with him already.”

I rolled my eyes.

“I’m not THAT cold hearted of an asshole.” All she could was give me a look like, ‘yeah, right’. I scowled and pushed past her, taking little Loki with me. In my room, I picked up my phone and scrolled through the last of Hanji's messages and sure enough, I’d promised to go with her.

“Why are you throwing a party for Erwin? He hates parties. He’d rather you make him some romantic ass dinner while wearing super skimpy lingerie and bunny ears.”

“That part comes later,” she winked. A slight shudder of faux disgust racked through me.

“Spare me the details, please. When are we leaving, then?”

“Just as soon as you get your short stuff ready!”

I shot her an evil frown before sitting Loki down on the couch next to her.

“Alright, fine. I’m gonna be a bit, though. I’m absolutely gross, I need a shower. DON’T make a mess of anything.”

She grinned and made a ‘cross my heart’ motion as she grabbed poor Loki and set him in her lap.

“Promise.”

  


  
....................................................

  


About an hour and a half later, Hanji and I were making our way down the streets, stopping here and there, yelling at each other through the bustle of people. We had stopped at several different flea markets, one specific party planning place and several restaurants about catering.

“How many people do you plan to show up to this thing?” I asked. She shrugged her shoulders, not meeting my eyes as she continued to walk.

“Idunno. I’m inviting some of his friends and a few of mine. I’ve got some of his colleagues from the university coming--”

“He’s gonna kill you,” I smirked, cutting her off. She scowled at my discouragement and gave me a little push.

“Shut up. He will not. He’ll be happy I tried so hard.”

“He’ll be embarrassed.”

“There’s no reason for him to be!”

I shook my head, giving up.

“Whatever, shitty glasses. I just hope you know what you’re getting into.”

She didn’t talk the rest of the way, which I was thankful for, but there was a nagging feeling in my chest that I knew I couldn’t ignore. It annoyed the shit out of me. When she finally spoke again, we had stopped in front of a small, dainty looking shop. It was very cottage-looking, the windows complete with old-timey shutters. The quaintness of it made you think of home, even if home didn’t really look exactly the same. There were flowers everywhere. The front windows were flooding outwards with them and the front was decorated with buckets and buckets of them in little display racks. A sign, just big enough to be seen, hung above the door that read “Carla’s”.

“Hanji, what is this place?”

“It’s a flower shop!”

My mouth opened to ask another question but she was already opening the front door, a little bell dinging softly to let the people inside know there was a customer. I frowned at her obviously cutting me off, following her inside.

The atmosphere inside was just as homey. The flowers were just as abundant and some were in bouquets to be purchased. Probably fresh from an early morning florist on the job. The first thing I noticed besides the flowers was the smell. It was like walking into springtime, if there even was a certain springtime smell. It wasn’t overwhelming, surprisingly. It was beautiful. The place took my breath away.

“Morning, Hanji!”

A voice broke my concentration as I remained rudely in the doorway, gawking at the place. I hurried to close the door behind me and looked around a bit at all the flowers while Hanji talked.

“Good morning, young man! I’ve got an order for you.”

She kept talking to the boy at the counter as I admired the purple roses. I didn’t even know there were purple roses.

“Levi? Levi!”

Hanji’s voice made me jump all of a sudden. I turned towards her with another evil frown. “What the hell do you want?”

It was then that I finally noticed the boy behind the counter. It was his eyes that I noticed first. They were absolutely gorgeous. All aqua blue and shiny. I was almost melting already. His brown bangs draped over them slightly. I hadn’t even noticed that I was staring until Hanji snapped her fingers in my line of vision. I looked over at her, my cheeks growing hot. I could tell she was trying to hide a smirk.

“This is Eren. He’s one of Erwin’s students at the university. Eren, this is my friend Levi. We’re like, besties.”

I frowned at her again, already beyond embarrassed. Fucking four eyes. She did this on purpose.

Eren looked down at me, a small smile on his face.

“Nice to meet you, Levi.” He held out a hand for me to shake. I took it carefully, as if I might break him. We shook hands and something in me went all...screwy.

_“Well, fuck….”_


	2. Love At First Sight?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren is a goof and Levi is shy and awkward. Mikasa called the whole thing.

Eren:

I woke up around six or so, ready to start the day. My twin sized mattress was feeling a little too small this morning, for some reason. When I looked over across the room, I noticed that the second twin bed occupying the space was already empty. 

“Armin?” I called out, figuring he was in the bathroom across the hall. When I didn’t get an answer, I sighed and sat up, stretching my arms and back. Armin had a tendency to get up before anyone else, usually an hour or two early. 

“He’s already downstairs. I’m sure he’s putting together some arrangements for display. You know how he is.” 

Mikasa now stood in the doorway of mine and Armin’s room, drying her hair with a towel. She’d been the one in the bathroom. 

“I know, I know. Little early bird Armin, up at the crack of dawn because he absolutely loves his job.” And he does. In all honesty, he’s probably better at it than the both of us. He’s got a natural talent, you might say. 

She smiled and turned her back to leave. Moments later as I was getting dressed, I could hear her in the kitchen making breakfast. She was talking, probably to dad. He was usually the first one up after Armin, grabbing coffee and reading a newspaper. 

After I was dressed, I took a quick peak in the mirror that hung in the bathroom, deeming my bed head of hair halfway presentable. My messy head was sort of a trademark of mine. 

“Good morning, son,” dad greeted as I joined them in the kitchen. Mikasa handed me a cup of coffee, fixed just the way I liked it. French vanilla creamer and not too much sugar. I took a sip and followed it with a satisfied sigh that only coffee could bring.

”Morning, dad. Did Armin eat anything before he went to work? Or was he up even earlier than usual?”

”I didn’t notice any dirty dishes when I got up, so I’m sure he skipped out again.”

I sighed, shaking my head.

“Mikasa, whip me up a plate for him? I’ll take it down when we’re done.”

She nodded, quiet as ever, focusing on the bacon she was frying. Next she’d fry the eggs and then make toast. By the time she finished, each of us had a plate of eggs, bacon and toast with the exception of dad, who ate a bagel instead.

”Sis, you’re the best,” I offered, giving her a soft kiss to the top of her head. She grinned and pushed me away rather roughly.

”Save your cooties, man. You might need them later.”

”Ha! Yeah, right. Maybe when the next world war comes around. And even then, my sweetheart will probably get drafted and die a terrible death,” I insisted, putting everyone’s dishes in the dishwasher after rinsing them off. Mikasa laughed and handed me my apron after I closed the machine and started it.

”You’ll find someone soon, I can feel it.”

She poked my nose in a very un-Mikasa-like way and turned away from me to hug our dad. “You just gotta give it some patience, Eren, that’s all.”

I followed her downstairs, letting out another half laugh.

”Right. The day I find a suitable significant other will be the day pigs fly and unicorns come down from the heavens.”

Shaking her head, we both exited the door that lead up the stairs to home. On the other side, another door lead to our beloved flower shop, Carla’s. I took a moment to observe it every day before going inside. Before mom died, the place had such a glow. It was like sunshine radiated from the inside. And once you walked in? It wasn’t hard to realize that sunshine was mom’s welcoming smile. She had been the sweetest woman alive, caring towards anyone and everything. Everybody missed her a lot, but if there was anything I missed most, it was the smile she had on her face while working here.

”Morning, guys! I took the liberty of throwing together a few arrangements for today’s display. Fresh cut and flowering!”

”Armin! They’re beautiful!” Mikasa admired, her eyes going wide as she examined the beautiful arrangements of lilies and roses and forget-me-nots.

”The new lavender roses came in this morning?” I asked, noticing the beautifully pastel petaled flowers bunched up in a row along the wall. Amrin must have set them out.

”Yup! Aren’t they gorgeous?”

I nodded and took a small look around before changing the sign in the window to the ‘open’ side.

”Alright, guys. Let’s tidy up some. For some reason, I feel like we have quite a long day ahead of us.”

”What makes you say that?” Armin inquired, not taking his eyes off the arrangement in front of him as he nit-picked at it.

”Just a feeling.”

It wasn’t very long before things started to pick up. Around 8:30 or so, the phones started ringing. Orders never pile up, especially with Armin around. But living just outside the city limits of Sina, we’re busier than most would think.

I was working at the counter on a phone call when Hanji strolled in. Armin and Mikasa were in the back doing inventory on some different things like ribbon and other arrangement accessories. I hadn’t been expecting my professors current girlfriend for another day or two, but it was nice to see her. She was crazy, but always friendly and super nice. I smiled and gave a little wave.

”Morning, Hanji.”

”Good morning, young man!” I noticed that someone came in behind her, but I was focused on her talking which kept me from noticing anything about him. “I’ve got an order for you.”

Hanji continued to talk, filling out an order slip that I handed her. I was trying to listen, but I kept catching myself staring in his direction. He was short with onyx black hair. It was cut in an undercut, odd for anyone else from around here. His build was slim, but strong. The type that looks insanely good in a nice suit and tie. 

I guess Hanji noticed my admiration, cause next thing I knew, she was grabbing his attention away from our purple roses.

”Levi? Levi!”

Panic arose slightly. I hadn’t been that panicked about the attention of another man since my last break-up about 2 months ago. I’d just about given up on the word boyfriend and hadn’t payed any mind to any kind of relationship since then. But as soon as this Levi turned and I saw his face, my cheeks blushed bright red. Why the hell do all the highly attractive ones have to be classed up assholes who only care about money and booze? Not that I assumed Levi was one of them, but he sure looked like he could come from a household of beautiful people. His outfit didn’t say so, but it didn’t have to. His crystal clear eyes that seemed set indefinitely in that awfully unapproachable scowl said everything on their own. His face was sharp in every angle and his attitude?

”What the hell do you want?”

Yup. Definitely an asshole. I could feel my hopes crashing down already. It was ridiculous for them to already be up so high anyway.

”Levi! Don’t be so rude. Levi, this is Eren. He’s one of Erwin’s students at the university. Eren, this is Levi. We’re like, besties.”

The way she said so so sarcastically made me smile. I was glad, because anything that I would have tried to come up with on my own would have looked like some goofy grin by now. My legs were jello in front of this gorgeous shorty. I held my hand out, swallowing away the lump in my throat. What the hell is wrong with me?

”Nice to meet you, Levi.” Thank God I didn’t stutter. How much more obvious would that have been?

He took my hand firmly, but not too firmly, and the two of us shook simultaneously. Something in his eyes changed for a split second and I wondered if he was feeling the same thing I was.

Just then, Mikasa came out from behind me, a wad of ribbon in her hands.

”Hey, Eren, is there anything you want done with this excess stuff that we haven’t used in a--”

She cut herself off when she saw the three of us, mine and Levi’s hands still clasped together. He let go suddenly, all awkward and looking slightly flustered. I tried not to smile as his cheeks turned a shade pinker than before. Mikasa just looked in between the three of us and smiled, bumping me with her elbow.

”I told you it would happen soon.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this chapter isn't as long as the first, but I promise, they'll get longer. xD I wanted to get introductions out of the way first, and now that that's done, I can start on some plot development. o.o BY THE WAY. If you've ever seen Bob's Burgers, the layout of the flower shop and Eren's house is the same sorta situation as Bob's restaurant and their house. XD Look it up, if ya need tuh.


	3. Professor Erwin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eeehhhm... Meet mister professor Erwin, who ships them so hard. Like, teenage girl hard.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise, chapters will get longer. I felt this was a good spot to stop for now, though. xD Hope you enjoy!

**Eren:**

“Eren. Eren, get up! You’re gonna be late for class, again.”

“What? What time is it?”

Mikasa stood at the foot of my bed, the sunshine of my morning. I was groggy from a good dream and ready to kick her in the face, in all honesty. Having an alarm clock is useless when Mikasa is always there to make sure you’re up a good 45 minutes before you actually need to be up. I rubbed at my face as I sat up, patting around the mattress with my other hand as I searched for my phone.

“Up late chatting with Jean again?” Mikasa asked randomly. I was about to deny her when I looked up all squinty-eyed to see she already had my phone. How the hell did she know my password? “I thought you were over this douche?”

“Mikasa, please. Some of the people in this room can’t afford college, and would like to be asleep instead,” Armin complained, rolling over in bed promptly after, covering his head with his blanket. Thank God for Armin.

I held my hand out for my phone and checked the time when she gave it back reluctantly. 

“Damn it, Mikasa. It’s only six. I don’t have to absolutely be up until 6:30.” 

She rolled her eyes at me as I scooted back down into the sanctuary of blanket and sheet. 

“I’m coming back for you in ten minutes. You need to stop getting up at last minute. Your classes wouldn’t be so hard if you were better prepared in the mornings.”

Mikasa had a way of guilt tripping, even when what she said wasn’t really meant for guilt tripping. It was like everything she said and the way she said it made you want to obey her, as if disappointing her meant going to Hell.

I groaned at the thought and sat up once again in my bed.

“She’s right, you know.” 

I looked over at Armin, who was still rolled over and under his cover. I promptly threw my pillow in his general direction.

“Ow!” He squeaked, sitting up quickly to throw it back. I underestimated his morning strength, however, because the pillow’s force of impact to my face was much greater than expected.

“Damn you, Armin!”

“Good morning, boys,” dad said as he walked by our door to get to the kitchen. Armin and I immediately hushed ourselves, scowling at each other. He curled up again under his blanket as I dragged my legs over the side of my bed. I could have sat there and gone back to sleep, but Mikasa strolled by, hesitating at our door.

I jumped up, hands in the air as a truce. “I’m up, I’m up!” She smirked and walked past. All I could do was groan.

“What should I wear today, Armin?” I asked as I opened up our shared closet. Most of his clothes were in a dresser next to his bed, but some of his good shirts hung with the rest of my clothes.

“Damn you people, why do I live here again? I couldn’t sleep past 6:30 on an off day if I wanted to.”

“You live here because you love us. And because your parents kicked you out for being gay.”

Armin sighed and nodded. It wasn’t a sensitive issue anymore, but had it been a month ago, he would have bawled. Not that I blamed him. I would have been heartbroken just the same.

He slowly pulled himself away from his comfortable oasis and dug through my closet, tossing a blue, breezy, button up flannel at me, along with a pair of tight fitting dark wash jeans that were my absolute favorite.

“You’d think by now, you’d be able to dress yourself,” he muttered, walking out of the room while talking over his shoulder. “Wear a jacket if you’re walking, it’ll be chilly.”

“What would I ever do without you, Armin?” And with that, I got dressed and got all my shit together, stuffing it in my bag. Books, notebooks, laptop to write my essay with later. Some other miscellaneous things just in case. When I was ready, I made my way into the kitchen, sitting down at our little dining table. Armin’s head was laid down, as if he’d possibly catch a few more minutes of sleep while dad sat, drinking coffee and reading yesterday’s paper. Mikasa sat a bowl of cereal in front of me, which was completely okay. I wasn’t really in the mood for a hot breakfast anyway. With my essay not finished, my stomach was slightly...churning.

“Eren, did you ever finish that essay you were telling me about?” Mikasa asked all of a sudden, interrupting my first bite of Honey Combs. I hesitated. Damn her and her mind reading abilities. She was not going to be happy with me in about two seconds.

“I, uh…didn’t get a chance to finish it.”

The sentence came out in a rush, but she understood just like a mother would.

“Eren, you’re going to fail English.

She said it with a joking tone, but there was also seriousness in the way she stood.

“Professor Smith is cool, Mikasa, I’ll get it done and he’ll be A-okay with it. Okay? Calm down, I’ve only been at the university a few weeks, I’m not gonna fail yet.”

Armin and dad were quiet as they stared between Mikasa and I. To avoid the awkwardness, I pulled my backpack onto my shoulders and picked up my cereal bowl.

“I’ll see you guys after school. Love you.”

There wasn’t a word from anyone else as I left, not even Mikasa. I didn’t like leaving on such bitter terms, especially with Mikasa. But she has a tendency to worry a little too much. And, thinking about it, she’s probably the best for that. Whether I’m struggling or not, she definitely keeps me out of that boat.

I finished my cereal downstairs in the shop, leaving the bowl in one of the sinks in the back. Since I was still early, I decided on the way out, locking the shop up, that I’d stop and grab a coffee. There was a small diner near the university that made the absolute best coffee.

Walking at a slow but brisk pace, I took a deep breath of fresh morning air. Armin had been right, it was chilly. Too bad I’d forgotten to grab a jacket in my haste to get away from Mikasa’s smothering questions. In all honesty though, she was being really...uptight. I’m 21 and perfectly capable of taking care of myself, and my grades. Let alone one freaking English paper. Since I started, she likes to act like I don’t care about what I’m trying to accomplish. Like I’m gonna fail at one thing and quit automatically. No, it had been a dream of mom’s that I’d get into college and do something with myself. Sure, there was the flower shop that she’d left behind, but it was only open part of the time and hours were pretty short. Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays from about 8 to around 4-ish. It definitely wasn’t overhaul. Mom had believed too much work was bad for you, even if you didn’t hate your job.

“The usual?” Sasha asked, a groggy smile on her face. I smiled and nodded as I came up to the front counter. The usual was a french vanilla frappuccino. Naturally. There was something about vanilla that just made my taste buds sing. Which, in follow-up, made me happy for the rest of the day.

“Thanks Sasha. How’s your morning?”

“Ugh, that same couple over there has been smoochin’ it up since, like, opening this morning. I’ve never seen them before. Look! The windows are LITERALLY steaming up over there,” she giggled. I shushed her, my own chuckle forming.

“Don’t be rude.”

“Me, rude? Obviously our definitions of rude are totally different.”

I shook my head and waited as she turned her back at the sound of the coffee finishing. She turned back to me with cup in hand, the signature logo of a pair of wings on the side.

“See you around, kid,” I waved after paying and hurried out the door. By the time I would get to class, I’d just barely be making it. Somehow, I’d walked a little slower than I thought.

  


  
………………………………………  


When I arrived on campus, I scurried as quickly as possible down the confusing shortcuts of the University of Sina. Sometimes I like to think it’s a miracle I ever even got into such a nice school, but dad had saved a lot of money for the day I decided to educate myself, aparently. It was something I’d never known about, but it was nice to have when I decided I actually wanted to give it a shot. At the moment, I was regretting it just slightly.

The building my first class was in came into sight, thankfully. But then, so did someone else. A certain, familiar looking dark head of hair. I stopped dead in my tracks, suddenly very conscious of who it was and whether or not I wanted to bump into him. He was wearing what looked to be an apron, covered in colors. Paint, maybe? He didn’t look like the painting/artist type. I could have definitely pegged him for the introvert type. Lazy, depressed a lot probably.

“Eren?”

At the startling sound of my name coming from right behind me, I turned on my heels to see another vaguely familiar face looking down at me from quite a ways.

“U-uh, good morning, Professor!” I started nervously. “You scared me.” This man made me nervous to the core. He could make anyone nervous with a jawline and eyes like his. Not to mention his beautifully blonde hair that seemed to just glimmer. Shit. Keep it together Eren.

“Oh, I’m sorry I startled you.” Ugh, his voice is like dark honey and breakfast in bed. “I guess we’re both late today, hm?”

His pleasant smile had me stuttering for words again. How did someone maintain such perfect fucking teeth.

“Yeah, actually. I got up earlier than usual, and I’m still late.”

His eyes traveled to my coffee cup, his grin growing.

“That’s alright, young man. I’ll walk you in.”

Holy shit. This is happening. I turned around to follow him and noticed that same dark haired figure was now standing right next to the door of our building. My breath was coming in little bursts. Interaction with two highly attractive men in the same morning. I was not built for this kind of privilege. God, help me. I swallowed as we came closer and closer.

Sure enough, there he stood, the mysterious Levi. Short, pale, but definitely handsome. Even my eyes were sweating with nerves at this point.

“Ah, Levi. Morning,” Erwin greeted, a friendly smile on his face. One that said he knows Levi and has for a long time. One that says trust.

Levi seemed to eye me for a second longer than he did my professor. We made eye contact for a split second, but it was gone just as quickly. Levi’s cheeks turned pink, looking up at the tall hunk of man candy beside me. 

“I came by to tell you something. Well, warn you is more like it.”

One of Erwin’s magnificent eyebrows raised curiously. I wonder if he groomed them himself at all.

“About what? It must be important for you to skip out on the beginning of your art class like this.”

Art class? Did that mean that Levi was some kind of artist? And if he is, does he teach a class here? Surely not, his wardrobe and attitude don’t exactly scream university art teacher to me. However, there’s no reason to be judging books by their covers now.

“Keep your voice down, eyebrows!” Levi seemed a little panicked at this information being so casual to Erwin. As if it was supposed to be top secret. Was it me he was worried about?

“Levi, there’s absolutely no one around. Besides little Eren here, and he’s a decent boy.” Boy? Erwin patted my shoulder like I was five. Now I was a little pissed.

“Excuse me, guys, but I better be getting to class.”

I excused myself from the conversation quickly, noticing something change in Levi’s eyes for a second, like before at the shop. Shrugging it off, I shouldered past my professor as to not make any physical contact with the shorter man. I didn’t even give Erwin a chance to insist I stay. Inside the classroom, about one-hundred other students speckled across the seats. Each row went across the room, breaking in the middle a few times for stairs that lead up to the top where a couple other exits were.

Erwin came in shortly behind me, sitting his things down on the desk up front as I settled into a seat closer to the front, away from everyone else.

“Alright, first things first, I’ve extended the deadline for your analysis papers. I had some complications over the weekend and couldn’t get around to reading them. Have them in by Wednesday, Thursday at the latest, got it?”

Relief splashed through my insides as a few other people sighed with relief in the back. Glad I’m not the only one who procrastinates but doesn’t like to disappoint. It’s a real shitty mix.

Professor Smith launched the class into a boring conversation about some novel we were gonna spend some time skimming through within the next week or so. I almost fell asleep a few times and didn’t really contribute, because a classroom full of one-hundred doesn’t really need my opinion. About halfway through, Erwin got a call on his cell. He excused himself for a bit and when he came back, he dismissed us early due to a “personal affair”. I chuckled a little as Hanji came to mind.

“Eren, can I talk to you for a sec?”

One thing I really noticed about Erwin was that his ability to learn names and faces was fascinatingly brilliant. Unless he only remembered his favorites, but that’d be too good to be true. “Uh, yeah, what’s up?”

“I just wanted to ask you about something. That man that met us outside this morning, did you know him? I could practically feel your tension while you stood next to me.”

Oh crap. What the hell? What was I supposed to say? What would he think if I did know him? Would it ruin any of Hanji’s plans if he knew I’d met Levi somehow? Wait, no, of course not. How would Erwin know I ran the flower shop outside of town. Stop freaking out, Eren, jeez!

“Uhm, yeah, I’ve run into him. Seen him around town, you know?”

He nodded but something about the way he held his eyes said he didn’t believe me.

“Alright, well. Have a good rest of the day, young man.” Erwin’s smile. Fuck.

I don’t know what happened, but all of a sudden, it bubbled up before Erwin left.

“Hey, professor? Could I, uh...ask you something? About...Levi?” No turning back now. Erwin had a smirkish grin on his face that looked adorable and scary at the same time.

“Go ahead. I’m all ears.”

“Uhm...would you happen to know when his art class is? And where, maybe?”

The grin grew. Was it that obvious? Oh, man. I watched as Erwin took a sticky note from his desk and began writing on it. He handed it to me, a building name and room number on it, also with ‘Mons & Weds 8-9am & 2-3pm’. I smiled.

“Tell him Erwin sent you, he’ll let you right in.”

“Thanks a bunch, professor,” I said as he walked out with me. He hurried off after saying goodbye. I stared after him, thinking about the rest of the day. Suddenly I could feel time slow as I looked down at my new sticky note. It was going to be a long ass day.


	4. Curiosity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi is a curious little shorty.

**Levi:**

There were only two of the five weekdays that I enjoyed the sound of my alarm in the mornings. Mondays and Wednesdays. Because I knew that when that alarm went off, it was time to get ready for a day full of insightful and creative people, just like myself. People that didn’t absolutely piss you off to the point of considering murder. 

I hurried up and out of bed, slipping on some slippers at the foot of the bed. The coffee was steaming expectantly from the coffee pot in the kitchen when I pulled my coffee cup from the cabinet. Loki came scurrying around my feet, rubbing his body against my ankles. 

“Feed me, dad, feed me,” I interpreted him, smirking as he meowed up at me in response. Taking a sip of my coffee, I reached under one of the lower cabinets and pulled out a little can of wet kitty food. 

“There ya go, little brat,” I teased, smiling and stroking down his back once as he eagerly went to munching on his breakfast. 

The sun was rising fast, casting small rays of sunshine into my tiny apartment. I vaguely wondered then why I got up so early to prepare for Mondays and Wednesdays. The university wasn’t a far walk, and even if I wanted to stop somewhere, it was only a few extra minutes. 

I shrugged off the thought and sighed slightly, reaching for the TV remote so I could listen in on some news before I started my daily routine. My feet shuffled as I slumped down carefully on the couch, Loki following closely behind. When I was settled, I held up my arm to make room for him as he jumped up and got comfy in my lap. His purrs echoed slightly as he started to doze off with his full tummy. I smiled and stroked his head gently, taking a sip of my coffee. Watching him for a moment, the kitten opened his eyes to look up at me once more. They were on odd color for a cat’s eyes, aqua blue and just gorgeous with his fur. 

Aqua blue…? Why did that sound familiar? And then his face was clear in my mind. Eren. Why he was so blatantly invading my mind this early in the morning baffled me. The kid was probably some snot-nosed hot shot, most likely because he worked to keep that little place in business. Probably thought he was a cool independent. In reality, the place was probably failing due to insufficient funds. Not that I was any richer than him. He probably had more, to be honest, given the circumstances. 

Even so, I couldn’t figure out for the life of me why his presence was so demanding in my mind. I mean, it could’ve been the fact that he was absolutely the cutest fucking thing in the world. I couldn’t remember the last time I saw someone that attractive. 

“Leviiii! Knock knock!” 

My entire body jolted and I cursed, almost spilling coffee on poor Loki. He jumped away from me in a frenzy, running off into my bedroom. The voice that was pounding away at my door couldn’t sound more familiar, unfortunately. 

“What the hell do you want, shitty glasses?” I yelled back, glaring at the door from where I was sitting. “You’re being too loud! You’re gonna wake the whole fucking neighborhood!” 

“I wouldn’t have to yell if you’d just let me in!” 

Rolling my eyes, I sat my coffee cup down on the coffee table and reluctantly got up to open the door. 

Hanji came bursting in, bringing a blast of energy I was not ready for. I could feel the headache coming on and it plastered a permanent scowl on my face. When she turned around, a huge Hanji smile on her face, she laughed. 

“Stop with the face, silly. I know you’re happy to see me. Don’t you wanna know more about that boooy you were drooling over in the flower shop yesterday?” 

Her butt made itself comfy on my sofa and as much as I hated for her to be there so early, she was right. Whether I’d realized it myself yet, Hanji was always a step ahead of me, for some weird reason. She always knew what I was thinking. And I suddenly found myself very curious of Eren, the aqua blue eyed boy with fabulous hair and that wonderful smile. Shutting the door finally, I groaned, sitting down next to her. 

“Okay, you got me. Who is he? What can you tell me?” 

“Now now, information comes with a price! And that price you must pay, my short little friend.” 

Glaring at her, I raised my eyebrow in question of her so mentioned “price”. 

“I’m having that party for Erwin, like I said before, and I’d REALLY love to get him some kind of gag gift.” 

I was already rolling my eyes. 

“Hanji, I already told you, he’s not gonna want this party. He’s gonna want the EXACT fucking opposite.” 

“Oh, you just think you know EVERYTHING,” she frowned, as if I had genuinely upset her all of a sudden. “Come on, Levi, why can’t you just go with it and help me out for once?” She was pouting now. 

“Because, Hanji, you know this shit isn’t gonna go down well. You HAVE to know that much. Erwin HATES parties. Always has. And I’ve known him longer than you,” I preached. She was crossing her arms, looking away from me. For a few minutes, she didn’t say anything and I was almost afraid I’d gone a little too far. But it wasn’t as if I were lying to her on purpose. I was telling the truth. The last time someone tried to throw a party for Erwin, or invite him to one, he frowned in disgust. 

Loki finally made his way back into the room slowly, sniffing at the ground as he eyed Hanji sitting next to me. He was never very sure of her, but it was probably a good thing. 

“Alright, alright. Fine. I’ll go along with your terribly bad fucking idea. But if things go wrong, and THEY WILL, I’m not having any part in it.” 

Hanji burst into hysterics then, hugging me tightly, scaring Loki back into the other room again. It was probably all of her energy that threw the poor kitten off. Just like a dog, Hanji probably confused the hell out of him. 

“Oh, thank you Levi! Thank you, thank you!” 

“Okay, okay, now get the fuck off me, Jesus!” I exclaimed, becoming slightly freaked out by her tight embrace. She let go and continued to explain. 

“Alright, so, what I need you to do is paint some kind of weird ass portrait of Erwin. I’m talking, like, mermaid-on-a-half-shell weird, got it?” 

I looked at her, horrified. 

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.” 

“Not one single bit, small fry!” 

She beamed at me, flashing her pearly whites in the most begging way she possibly could muster. 

“Pleeaaaaassseeee?” She continued. I shook my head. 

“Fine, but I’m not painting him naked. 

“Deal!” She yelled, offering her hand for a handshake, as if to seal the promise. I looked up at her incredulously and then reluctantly, shook her hand. “Now, you wanted to know about the boy, yes? Cute, sweet little Eren Jaeger?” 

I tried not to lose my cool by blushing, but I could feel the heat coming to my cheeks. What a pathetic man I was. But I nodded anyway. 

“Well! I don’t know much, but I know he owns that little flower shop now. His mom passed away not too long ago, poor thing. She was the owner beforehand. He has an adopted sister and I’m pretty sure his little buddy lives with them too. Not that you need to know that, heh. Let’s see, what else?” 

She paused for a moment. She wasn’t exactly telling me what I really wanted to know. Or anything I didn’t already assume. 

“Oh! I know that he is an immaculate artist. He draws, rather than paints, but boy! You’ll be lucky to see some of his drawings, if you ever do,” she smiled, winking at me. Now that was something I wanted to know. Something I was very glad she had said. Maybe I could get Erwin to mention my art class to him. How fucking amazing would that be? I could see his artwork AND get to peek at his luscious eyeballs now and then. Fuck. Pull yourself together, Levi. 

“Are you listening to me?” 

Hanji’s voice jolted me from my thoughts, making me frown. 

“Yeah, yeah, I’m listening.” 

“What did I say then?” 

My hand traveled around to rub the back of my neck, the way I always seemed to do when I was lying. It really sucked ass. I needed to figure out how to break the habit.

“Okay, so I wasn’t listening.” 

“Well if you had been, then you’d know that Erwin told me last night that Eren asked about you.” 

Now she had my interest. My eyes widened a little too fast as I looked over at her. She smirked, cause she knew she had me. 

“That’s right, lover boy. Oh, would you look at the time? I’ve gotta get going!” 

She jumped up, leaving me a little too unsatisfied. 

“What the hell, shitty glasses! You can’t do that!” 

“I sure as booty can, short stuff! I’ll see you tomorrow night for the party, kay?” 

And with that she was gone, having run out as fast as she could. I groaned and turned my head to find Loki had jumped up on the couch beside me again, just as soon as Hanji was gone. 

“Ugh. What the hell, Loki? What am I gonna do?” 

The little kitten just stared at me, his oceanic eyes full of what seemed to be curiosity. I reached out to stroke his head, listening as he began to purr. A sigh left my chest as I stared at the TV without watching it. My sudden infatuation with this kid was a little frustrating. So out of the blue and pretty much ridiculous. I was so much older than him. He probably wouldn’t be interested, even if he had asked about me. If anything, it was probably just honest curiosity. 

“Fuck, Loki. This is gonna terrible.”


End file.
